Stovetop Stewed Plums With Cinnamon

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 04/11/21
Stovetop Stewed Plums With Cinnamon Recipe

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
151 Calories
0g Fat
38g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 151
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 41mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 36g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 12mg 61%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 184mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Every year, a bounty of plums arrives in the United States' supermarkets in late May. Sweet, with the perfect tang, plums are simply delicious eaten raw. But when stewed, their firm texture and flavor make them the perfect fruity side, great on all meals, from breakfast dishes to game meats and desserts. If you happen to have many plums and not enough time to eat them before they ripen too much, this easy recipe brings out the best of these fruits, giving you a versatile preparation to enjoy.

A cinnamon stick and some fresh lemon juice are all you need to flavor some fresh plums. You need to select the plums so that they're ripe enough but not too soft, as the cooking will break down their texture and could make them mushy, taking away the beauty of biting into a sweet and firm slice of stewed plum. There are several kinds of plums, and they all will do for this recipe, as long as the flesh is firm. Black, red, or yellow are all great, but the resulting flavor can vary as they have different levels of tartness, as well as different textures. Pluots, apriums, apriplums, or plumcots—hybrids of plums and apricots—are also good choices for this delicious stew.

If you can, choose organic fruit, as you'll be eating the skin of the plum and organic product guarantees you're not eating dangerous pesticides, too.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ripe plums, about 8 small or 6 medium

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 cup water

  • 1 dash salt

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  • 1 cinnamon stick

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Stovetop Stewed Plums With Cinnamon Recipe ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Thoroughly wash the plums and cut them in half. Remove the pits.

    cut plums in half and remove pits

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, water, salt, and lemon juice.

    granulated sugar, water, salt, and lemon juice in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Add the cinnamon stick to the mixture and bring to a boil while stirring constantly.

    cinnamon stick added to the sugar water mixture in the saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Place the plum halves in the boiling syrup.

    plums in a pot of cinnamon and sugar syrup

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, or until plums are tender.

    plums in cinnamon sugar syrup

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Remove from heat and let them cool slightly before eating. Refrigerate to chill or serve at room temperature.

    Stovetop Stewed Plums With Cinnamon in a pot

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Enjoy!

How to Store Stewed Plums

The sooner you eat the plums the better, but they will keep well in the fridge for up to a week when stored in an airtight container. If making bigger batches, the best course of action is either to portion them and freeze or to can the fruit in a water bath so they keep their freshness and texture for longer.

How to Use Stewed Plums

A perfect and simple dessert, stewed plums can be a versatile ingredient in many meals:

Stewed Plums in Red Wine

For a more adult version of this sweet preparation, add red wine to the cooking liquid:

  • Replace 1/2 cup of water with the red wine of your preference.
  • Add 1 thumb-sized piece of freshly peeled ginger root to the cooking liquid.
  • Follow the recipe as indicated above.

Plums stewed in red wine are a great side to game meats, but are also really delicious when served warm with vanilla ice cream and some crushed hazelnuts on top.

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